In the clearest display of how little the truth matters to rabid House Republicans, Cecile Richards, Planned Parenthood president, was raked over the coals yesterday during a marathon Congressional “hearing.” Led by Jason Chaffetz,, chairman of the House’s Committee of Oversight and Government Reform, the farce devolved into an inquisition as Chaffetz continually interrupted and cut off Richards as she tried answering his questions.
On what many observers have labeled one of the more “shameful days” for House Republicans ( and that is saying a lot), the five hour interrogation was filled with more lies than you might find at a Pathological Liars’ convention.
If Congressional hearings are meant to get at the truth of whatever is being investigated, this was not one of them. The topic of defunding the women’s health service provider is turning into this season’s Benghazi.
As the feisty and unshakable Richards observed, “ “I think the whole purpose of this hearing was to convince themselves that it is OK to deny women the ability to go to the health care provider of their choice, because 2.7 million women and men choose Planned Parenthood, and they were trying to say they wanted to take that choice away from them.”
The highlight of the “hearing” came when Rep. Chaffetz surprised Richards with a graph proving how, over the years, Planned Parenthood has provided more abortions than cancer screenings and preventative services.
When Richards said she’d never seen the graph before, Chaffetz replied: “It comes straight from your annual reports.”
After being briefed by her lawyer, Richards shot back, “My lawyers just informed me that the source of this information is Americans United for Life, an anti-abortion group. I would check your source.” A red-faced Chaffetz ended his questioning at that point.
More shameful than the source of the graph, however, is its complete lack of meaning. The graph is the type of representation that would earn a high school student an “F” in any math class. The problem is that it does not contain a “y” axis. This allowed its creators to simply plot the results wherever they chose in order to create a compelling, but false, visual effect.
The irony of all this is that, while this spectacle will play well with their base, the Washington witch hunt will only hurt the GOP in the upcoming election since 69% of Americans believe the federal government shouldn’t be shut down over Planned Parenthood’s funding.
What’s that you say, Bobby, your party needs to stop being the “stupid party?”
More and more the GOP/TeaParty is becoming mtge party of stupid. But in this case displays it all for the country to see. How embarrassing it is to see stupid representatives try to vindicate their agenda when the facts do not support any of their ideological vileness.
Stupid works well with their base … but it’s a losing strategy for winning national elections.
Although this hearing/witch hunt was too dumbfoundedly stupid to warrant a reasonable response, it occurred to me that in any rational investigation of a suspected lawbreaking business, such as a bank or insurance company, an infraction, if discovered would be punished by the imposition of a fine or, as we have recently seen, a bailout, rather than a demand for it to be eliminated. I write this with the understanding that only 3% of Planned Parenthood’s activity involved providing legal abortions.
Republicans are truth telling about their aims, goals, tactics and agenda so clearly that it’s a wonder they have lasted so far into the 21st century. Bengazi select committee formed to demonize H. Clinton, Alabama closing DMV offices in Black districts are “covert” ways that the GOP are futilely trying to “level the playing field” between the parties. They know they can’t inspire more votes; their solution is to remove votes from the opponent.
Joshua, the Republican Party is despicable and desperate.They are doing whatever it takes to survive. But nothing will stop their road to ruin … especially if Donald Trump is their nominee.